Let Me Break Down the Nervous System for You
by Yesm777
Summary: Eli's standing on the border of a breakdown and it's affecting his work. After awhile, the team starts to notice that Loker isn't acting like himself and find themselves trying to figure out what is tossing him in so deep a misery. Angsty, kind of sad...
1. The Battle Against Insanity

_**Disclaimer: I do not own "Lie to Me."**_

_Author's Note: For those of you that read my stuff, you know I am a whumping writer. XD So, I was thinking of different approaches of whumping (I haven't posted something for awhile...) and I came up with a psychological/emotional sort of angle for Mr. Eli Loker. Here 'tis! Hope you enjoy and, as always, please review. ;)**  
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**1. The Battle Against Insanity**

Eli's eyes roved over the screen for the forty-fifth time, making sure he didn't miss anything. He'd already been scolded by Lightman for missing obvious signs of lies and guilt in a previous video he'd analyzed; he didn't want a repeat. But, it was so hard to concentrate, as his mind was flooded with much different and distracting thoughts and his fatigue wasn't helping in the least. Sure, he could've explained to his boss what was going on, but he didn't want to. There was no need to bother his coworkers with his own personal stories, even if he was on the edge of a nervous breakdown.

"Hey, how's the analysis goin'?" Ria asked as she strode into the room. Eli quickly replaced his troubled guise with his usual cheery one.

"Slow; I'm making sure I've got every little thing so Lightman doesn't freak out on me again." he sighed, staring at the screen.

"Oh, yeah, I heard about that..." she mumbled. "Tough."

"Tell me about it." he muttered. Silence soon followed and Ria found herself examining the videos as well. A twitch...a fake smile...and Eli wasn't recording any of it. In fact, Eli was hardly doing anything at all.

"Hey, did you see that?" she inquired rudely, seeing him jump and knowing immediately that he had fallen asleep. "Come on, this is no time for a nap." Her tone came out as a growl and Eli's face cringed painfully at her harshness. Fortunately, she couldn't see his front and he easily thought up an excuse.

"Sorry, it's just a little monotonous." he told her softly, some sort of emotional monster threatening to bleed through in the form of sobs.

"Yeah, well, you're lucky I'm not Lightman; he's already ticked at you." she scolded, her lips pursing angrily. It was one thing if Eli was sick, but he was just being lazy and careless. He'd been that way for the past few days and it was really starting to bother her; if he was bored with his job, why didn't he just quit?

"Sorry..." he whispered again, staring up at the screen and attempting to sit up straight. She was quiet as she realized she had nothing further to say.

"Stop messing around and get some work done." she spat and left the room quickly. Eli slumped in his seat, his eyebrows pulled up in anguish. Why did misfortunes always bring their family and friends? All he needed was a kind word...and he'd even lost that from Foster. Ria had been the most patient with his spacey behavior. Lightman had been lecturing him since day one and Foster cracked on day two; at least Ria had withheld her frustration for four days.

He couldn't blame them: he was holding up all their work! Everything seemed to take him three times as long and, more than enough times, he was found dozing against his keyboard. If he had thrown in his melancholy mood, the team would've been suspicious...but he'd done well to hide it away. Eli didn't want suspicions, he didn't want worried stares or time off...he just didn't want anybody to know. It was his own issue and he would deal with it by himself.

"Worry and Lightman? No way." he scoffed, smirking as if he'd already lost his control on emotions. One second he would smirk, the next he would feel like crying. In fact, that's just what he wanted to do right now.

Eli stood from his seat and paused the video, wandering out of the analysis room and heading to the bathroom. He walked along the wall and rubbed at his temple continually to hide his upset expression. This time he couldn't get rid of it, he just hoped he wasn't seen.

Luckily, he was the one and only person in the bathroom. He hid himself in a stall, closed the toilet lid and sat on it, pulling up his legs so nobody could see his feet. For once, he wanted to go unnoticed...he didn't want to recite his blunt Radical Honesty. The current struggles of his life already made him feel small and insignificant, but that's what he wanted to be: ignored.

He pressed his face to his knees as his body shook with silent sobs. He may have wanted to be overlooked, but he hated that he was letting down his coworkers. Perhaps it would be better if he marched into Lightman's office and asked for some time off. Actually, marching sounded exhausting...more like trudge.

_Get yourself together, Eli. You don't have time for this! If you lose it now, what good will that do? _he coached himself, taking deep breaths as he tried to calm himself. He heard a couple pairs of feet walk into the bathroom and Eli shrank further in his own shadow.

"This was my only clean shirt." one man growled, who Eli recognized as Doug: his lab coworker. "I hope Lightman won't mind if I wear a polo shirt for a couple of days."

"So much for taking a coffee break..." the other grumbled, the faucet beginning to run. "I wasn't planning on half of it getting on me. Sorry about your shirt; I didn't expect it to splash so far."

"Nah, that's okay. I can always ask Eli if I can borrow a shirt." Doug replied.

"That's assuming Lightman will keep him around for a couple of days." the other man snorted as he turned off the faucet.

"What are you talking about?" Doug demanded. Eli didn't think of the two of them as close, but they were good enough friends for working together.

"With all the slip ups he's been pulling, I don't think Lightman can tolerate him much longer. Even Foster is getting irritated with him." said the mystery man.

"Yeah, whatever. Eli's just in a bit of a rut." Doug defended. "He'll be back to himself eventually."

"Meh, whatever you say, man." the stranger said and his footsteps trailed out of the bathroom. Doug let out a sigh before he followed and left Eli alone again.

_Don't think about it, Eli. Just get back to work; ignore it. You can't afford to worry about anything else or you're going to kill yourself. _he thought, pulling his emotions back together and preparing his appearance for the public. Once he left the bathroom, nobody could tell he was teetering on the cliff of losing his mind.

Nobody could tell he was dying inside.

* * *

"Of course, he's not here when he should be." Foster sighed irritably, putting her hands on her hips and staring at the paused video.

"Oh, hey, Foster." Eli greeted as he came from behind her. "Need something?"

"Cal and I want to talk to you." she said curtly, causing him to pause before seating himself down. Could this be it? Were they going to fire him only after four days?

"Umm..." His voice was beginning to shake.

_Don't lose it now; you've gone this long without anyone suspecting anything_. he told himself.

"Alright." he mumbled and Foster turned abruptly to head out the door. He had the impression he was supposed to follow and trailed behind her with his head bowed and his inner voice coaxing him that everything was going to be fine.

Before he knew it, he was in Lightman's office, being motioned to sit down while Foster took her place behind Lightman. Both of them stood with crossed arms, drilling their stare into his face. He knew they could see his fear, his panic...but the magnitude of it, they weren't able to comprehend.

"You're making too many mistakes, Loker." Lightman stated. "You can't be careless on this job."

"We're doing things that are too important to miss some obvious details." Foster added.

"You're neglecting your responsibilities." Lightman stated, raising his eyebrows and looking at Loker with a disappointed disposition.

"I-I know...I-I'm trying to focus." Eli stuttered, that crazy emotion monster threatening to pull him down again.

"Yeah, well, you should be trying harder." Cal scolded, narrowing his eyes.

"Perhaps it would be better if you took some time off." Gillian said softly, sorrowed by the twinge of betrayal on Eli's face.

"But, I need this job!" Eli told them desperately.

"We're not paying you anything; time off won't do anything to you." Lightman sighed. Eli stared at the floor, tears threatening to come.

"Maybe you're right..." Eli muttered, astonishing his bosses. "The stress of this job right now is just..." He squeezed his eyes shut as his brain fought to find the right word. "It's just...overwhelming for me right now." Foster stepped forward as she began to recognize little signs of a broken man.

"Don't say anything, Dr. Foster." Eli demanded, holding up a hand as soon as she'd opened her mouth. "I-I'll just collect a few things and get out of here." Eli pushed himself up wearily and exited the room, rubbing his eyes.

"Something's not right." Gillian thought aloud. Cal looked at her and took a deep breath.

"Based on that li'l scene, I'd say Loker is going mad..."

* * *

Ria strolled into the analysis room with a box of Chinese takeout in her hand and a pair of chopsticks in the other. She leaned in for a bite as she continued to walk in, but stopped mid-chew as she saw Eli pulling his things together in a sluggish fashion.

"What's going on? Where are you going?" she asked, gulping down her food.

"I'm, uh, just taking some time off." he mumbled. "It'll be good for me."

"When are you coming back?" she asked.

"..." He stayed silent as he flipped his book bag closed.

"Why are you leaving?" she probed, hoping for more answers. "Did Lightman tell you to go?"

"He thought it was a good idea." Eli sighed as he stood up and adjusted the bag on his shoulder. "But, really, it's just..." He looked up at Ria. "I...I can't handle this right now." His eyes glanced away from hers and he passed by her, still avoiding any eye contact. For awhile she couldn't process what just happened, then she finally turned around just in time to see the slumped figure disappear around the corner.

"Eli, wait!" Ria called, jogging after him in her high heels. He continued to plodding towards the door, his head bowed. "Wait!" she repeated, finally able to reach out her arm and grab his shoulder. He stopped and turned partially to face her, acting as though he had just noticed her following him.

"Do you need anything?" she inquired, now feeling a little guilty for lecturing him earlier in the day.

"No, I—" he began.

"Are you sure?" she interrupted. "I mean I'll be happy to help..." His phone rang and he reached for it. "...it's the least I can do. After all, you've been so nice to me and all..."

"I really have to answer this." he muttered, looking up at her.

"Oh, okay."

She waited patiently as he answered the phone.

"Hey, Evin; how is he?" he mumbled, his expression turning to one of worry. Ria studied him curiously as he listened to a frantic voice on the other end. "I-I'll be right there." Eli said quickly. "No, Evin, listen; I'll be right there." Ria's face twitched with confusion as Loker's breathing became panicked and he nearly dropped his phone upon hanging up.

"Is everything okay?" she queried, examining him seriously. Eli looked like he was at the end of his rope and about to faint.

"I-I can't talk now, I've got to go." he explained swiftly, slipping his phone in his pocket and running out of the door. Ria stood stunned in the hallway, then looked around her in search of either Lightman or Dr. Foster. Lucky: Dr. Foster was just making her way down the hall with a busy sort of demeanor.

"Foster!" Ria called out, snatching the attention of the older woman.

"What is it, Torres?" she asked as the protégé met up with her. "Did Eli already leave?"

"Did he say something to you?" Ria asked immediately.

"Why? What's going on?" Foster questioned, staring at the young woman.

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_Author's Note: Please review! Tell me what you think: good? Or no? What say you?_


	2. Digging For Truth

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Lie to Me.**_

_Author's Note: Phew! Sorry it's been so long...I meant to add the next chapter sooner, but then I had Spring break and then school started up again... Busy busy busy...Anyway, I hope this chapter is to your liking. Also, remember to review! :)**  
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**2. Digging for Truth**

Eli's mind was jumbled and his emotions frayed. He drove with as much speed as he could, but the adrenaline wasn't enough to override his exhaustion. It was hard to focus on the drivers around him with everything coming in an unclear blur. He was going through a crisis and he couldn't deny it. Everything was getting worse and worse as time passed and the only thing to help him feel better was to believe it was some sort of test in life. Eli got no pay at Lightman's and he needed a night job to pay the bills; he was hardly eating or sleeping these days; some lunatic had held Lightman at gunpoint in the office; and now...well, now there was this. This new chaotic moment in his life that caused his health, happiness and sanity to plummet down into oblivion. Could he get out of this undamaged? How could he explain?

Will he ever recover?

* * *

"Something definitely isn't right." Gillian sighed sorrowfully.

"Do you think it's because of this suspension from work?" Ria asked, puzzled.

"No." Lightman answered. "It takes a lot for that sort of depression to set in."

"It was like his demeanor changed completely after we told him to take a vacation." Gillian thought aloud, shaking her head and looking somewhat distressed by the situation. Ria shifted her feet uncomfortably; in a way, it felt as if they were talking about Eli like he was a suspect. He wasn't a suspect, he was a friend who needed help.

"When he got that phone call, he looked worried." Ria interjected. "It was some talk about...well, someone. I got the impression that someone was sick."

"That's probably why he's so distracted." Lightman muttered. "Do you have any idea where he went?" Ria shook her head.

"He didn't say; he just ran out the door in a hurry." she explained as Lightman pulled out his phone and dialed a number. The two women stared at him silently.

* * *

Eli didn't react when his phone began to ring. Who would want to call him now? Who would even care? Slowly, he pulled out the device and stared at the caller ID. It took awhile before he recognized the letters flashing across the screen:

Lightman.

He couldn't understand why his boss was calling him. The only logical thought was that a big case came up and Eli's help was needed...but he didn't want to help. He didn't want to do much of anything. All he wanted to do right now was what he was already doing:

Sitting on the floor, against the wall of the hospital hallway.

"Are you going to answer that?" inquired a familiar voice. Eli looked up to find his best friend, Josh, staring down at him. An uncomfortable hush passed between the two.

"Mind if I sit with you?" Josh queried. Eli shook his head and Josh solemnly took his place beside him. For the longest few minutes of Loker's life, they sat in complete quiet, staring at the wall ahead of them.

"He didn't deserve it." Eli whispered. "Dave never did anything to upset anybody." Another group of minutes dawdled by in silence.

"There are very few in this world that deserve to die so young." Josh sighed.

Eli's phone rang again.

* * *

"He's not answering." Lightman grumbled and set his cell on his desk.

"Oh, I hope Eli's okay." Gillian said quietly as she began to wring her hands together. "I feel so awful I didn't notice sooner."

"None of us noticed." Lightman growled, turning and staring out the window.

"He didn't want us to or he would've said something." Ria replied, plopping into a seat on the couch. "I'm pretty sure that if we don't know, nobody in the office does."

"But...why wouldn't he tell us?" Gillian asked, bothered by the fact that Eli hadn't trusted them with his personal problems. He should've known that, at least, she was always there to help!

"I suppose..." Lightman began, pausing as he thought further on the subject. "I suppose we'll just have to wait until he comes back."

"There is no way I'm going to wait that long." Gillian responded and took a deep breath. "I'll keep calling him if I have to, but I'm not leaving him to his own misery." Ria said nothing as she watched her two employers. They seemed just a little surprised by this sudden development with Eli. Nobody knew how to act; Eli was never sad, he was the type that said "oh well" and went on with his life! Loker went with the flow and didn't let the usual trials of life bring him down; Ria admired him for that strength. Where was that strength now? What had happened that changed Eli so dramatically?

For the rest of the day, Ria had no choice but to take over Loker's work; his pile of chores was getting higher and even the things he had done were poorly finished at best. With the way things were now, she wasn't annoyed with it. But, she began to understand how difficult it was to catch everything when you were distracted by other things. Her brain was juggling with the task at hand and the reoccurring thought of Eli.

Ria left the office with only one idea in mind:

Visit Loker's.

She wasn't sure if he'd even be there, but Ria was more than willing to give it a try. Maybe she'd leave a note or come by the next day; but, nothing was going to keep her from knocking on his door.

Ria was hiking up the steps to his apartment before she realized she didn't know what to say. In what way could she ask that wouldn't upset him further? What could she tell him? Perhaps she could somehow help him understand that his team was willing to help or, more specifically, she could lend a hand... Words were still jumbled in her head when her knuckles hit the door.

_What am I going to say?_

She shook away the thought with the excuse that Eli probably wasn't even home. There was no point in talking to an invisible person.

To her surprise, the door creaked open. But, it wasn't Eli or anyone she knew...Could it be a wrong address?

"Um...Does Eli Loker live here?" she inquired, trying to peer around the mystery man. The stranger leaned heavily on the door and studied her face.

"Are you a friend of Eli's?"

"Coworker, actually." she answered, turning her eyes back on him. His chocolate brunette waves were overly tousled and his brown eyes held the look of a trodden down man.

"May I ask what you're doing here?" he questioned in a soft voice. "He told me he won't be going to work for awhile."

"I'm just...checking up on him." she replied slowly, smiling politely. "He seems to be a bit down lately."

"A _bit_?" he scoffed, shaking his head. "He's actually not here, but I'll pass your concern along." He began to close the door, but Ria quickly spoke up beforehand.

"Where is he?"

The man opened the doorway wider, sighing as he looked at her again.

"Somewhere. I'm picking up a few things for him; he won't be home for a day or two." he explained. Ria fidgeted where she stood, getting uncomfortable in the impatient stare of the stranger.

"I really just want to help." she told him, smoothing out her skirt nervously. "I honestly didn't know anything was wrong until today." The man took a deep breath as he gazed at her, thinking something over quite thoroughly.

"Alright, come in." he muttered. Quickly, she stepped over the threshold as to not keep him waiting and went further indoors. Her eyes quickly swept over the innards of the apartment, finding clues that indicated a lack of activity within. Dust layered everything and nothing looked to be too disturbed or out of place.

"Welcome to the sad little home of Eli Loker." the man mumbled. "My name is Josh, by the way."

"I'm Ria." she replied, still examining the scarce amount of dishes left in the sink.

"Sorry I seem a bit grouchy; as you can probably tell, Eli and I aren't going through the best of times these days." he told her, sounding tired and worn down. He left her alone as he disappeared into a different room, which she supposed was the bedroom.

"Is there any way I can see Eli?" she called, running a finger over the dusty counter.

"You could, but I suggest you don't." he replied as he walked back into the same room with a bundle of clothes in his arms. Ria turned her head in his direction, unsure of what to think about Josh's words.

"Why not?" she queried, fishing for some actual answers. Josh seemed to be answering her inquiries the same way a person would step with broken glass on the floor: gingerly. He was being as careful as possible to stay vague.

"He's just a little...well, he's in bad shape." Josh answered, clearing his throat soon after and stuffing Eli's clothes into an old book bag. He stood up straight and looked at Ria straight in the face. "You've got to understand that he's already got a lot of stressful things going on in his life; what happened recently just made things a whole lot harder to chew. I mean, he's the Eli we know: he gets over things quickly and deals with what he's given. But, he's got plenty to process right now...it'll be awhile before he'll be even close to normal."

Ria tried not to let it show how uneasy she felt.

"May I ask what happened?" she asked quietly. She didn't want to be so direct, but this Josh hadn't even hinted what was going on. Ria could only tell by watching his face that it was something more than troublesome. She just wanted answers; she wanted to fulfill that human curiosity created by her worry.

Josh stared at her for a moment, lack of decision dancing in his eyes. He opened his mouth as if to say something, then closed it again and glanced down. Ria waited patiently, hoping that he'd finally wrestle his inner voice and tell her what she wanted to know. No, not what she wanted...

What she _needed_ to know.

Josh prolonged the silence as he slung the book bag over his shoulder and searched the floor as if it would tell him what he should do. The quiet was unbearable, and the unknown answer hung in the air tauntingly.

Finally, Josh looked at Ria in the face.

"One of our best friends just died." he croaked.

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_Author's Note: Awww...sad... Um, please review! Thanks for reading! ;)_


	3. Pieces

_**Disclaimer: I do not own "Lie to Me."**_

_Author's Note: My goodness, guys! Sorry this took so long. I was having trouble deciding how this chapter should go and I'm still not so sure about it, but I hope it's to your liking. :) Please read and review! **  
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**3. Pieces**

Ria couldn't sleep the night before. Her thoughts were stuck on Eli like a broken record. No matter what she had asked Josh, he had refused to answer. She was left returning home, hardly knowing anything about where Eli was or how he was doing; nor did she have any details on the unhappy occurrence itself. What exactly had happened? What led up to the death of a best friend?

She strolled across the polished floor, too mystified by her own thoughts to really notice anybody else around her. Ria stopped abruptly outside of Lightman's office as she heard voices from within.

"I don't know any more than you do, Cal. I couldn't get a hold of him all yesterday." Dr. Foster sighed.

"Well, the bloke better return our bloody calls; I'm his boss!" Lightman hollered angrily. In her short time with the Lightman Group, Ria had noticed that Cal was more apt to resort to anger and frustration when faced with difficulty. It was just the strange way you knew he cared...if you knew him. Otherwise you would just think he was a jerk.

"That doesn't really change anything, Cal. The fact that we're his employers hasn't affected him for the past day." Gillian muttered. Ria bit her lip as she turned away from the door. Maybe it was better they didn't know what had happened yet. Maybe Josh would call in for Eli to let them know what was going on. For some reason, she couldn't tell them; she couldn't face them with that sort of news. Plus, it was obvious Josh thought poorly of Eli's job at the Lightman Group. It showed clearly on his face when she first mentioned she was a coworker.

Her heels clacked across the flooring as she immediately made her way to the analysis room. She knew it was empty; Doug was out on a lunch break. She slowed as she came through the doorframe, missing the strangely cheery aura that had once filled the place. Ria kind of missed that sarcasm Eli used to provide and Radical Honesty had fled with its master. Torres seated herself in a chair away from Eli's desk, as if she was trying to accurately imagine Eli working at his computer and tossing a foamy football in the air. What would that image look like after he returned? Will it still be the same?

"Hey."

Ria jumped at the voice, startled out of her thoughts. She whipped around, ready to shout at the mystery person until she saw who it was.

Eli stood in front of her.

"Wha..." Ria gaped for a moment as she took in his dark eyes and strained features. "What are you doing here?"

"I just...I just forgot one of my jump drives." he mumbled as he shuffled past her and dug into one of his desk drawers. She stared at him, wondering if she was really imagining him, or if he was actually in front of her.

"That's the one." he whispered, holding up a memory stick weakly and giving a pathetic, little smile. "I guess I'll...see you later." He began to walk past her, but she grabbed his coat sleeve and pulled him to a stop.

"No, you have to tell me what's happening." she demanded. Eli turned slowly to look at her, the gray eyes darkened by sorrow. He didn't say anything for awhile, but he fumbled with the small jump drive in his hand nervously.

"No, I...I should go. Josh doesn't know I'm gone and...and I really don't want Lightman or Foster to see me." he mumbled, slowly making his way towards the door while still keeping his sights on her. Ria sighed as she quickly thought of something else to say.

"What do you think we're going to do?" she asked, examining his features closely. If anything, they looked more dead and lifeless than even his worst day. He paused in his gradual escape, looking as if he wanted to talk but couldn't bring himself to say the words.

"I don't know what I think you're going to do." he whispered, still gazing at her.

"We want to help. Lightman and Foster want to know what's going on; they're _worried _about you." she explained quietly.

"There's nothing to worry about." he grumbled, glancing away and rubbing at his temple.

"To tell you the truth, Eli, you look like you're on the end of a weak rope." she told him, looking sympathetic.

"I don't want your pity." he spat, closing his eyes tightly and starting to massage his forehead. Ria was a little stunned by his tone of voice, not used to an angry Loker. Usually he was calm and just went with the flow. Even when trouble arose, he was the best at keeping collected and level-headed; abrupt anger just wasn't much of an issue with him. Although, it was understandable: Josh _did_ say he was in bad shape. Most likely, Eli's brain was in a scramble and his personality was all mixed up.

"You don't have to take my pity, I just want to _help_." she pressed, trying harder to get through to him. For awhile, he was quiet, pressing his palm against his head as though he was battling a headache. Ria tried her best to be patient, but she was itching with the desire to emphasize her intentions once more.

"I'm all messed up right now. I...I just need some space." he muttered, dropping his hand to his side. At least he was accepting the fact that he wasn't himself. Then, when would he be?

"Loker?"

Eli whipped around to see Foster standing in the doorway with an inquisitive stare. Abruptly, he became rigid and he winced. Averting his gaze downwards, he hurried through the door, gently shoving Gillian aside as he quickly fled the building.

"Wait!" Foster called, taking a few steps towards his direction as his last sneaker slipped through the glass door. She lingered a few moments, then turned to face Ria. Gillian's mouth opened, but she never had the chance to question her employee.

"Foster!" Lightman shouted, emerging from his office with a folder and quickly striding towards the analysis room. "We've got a case."

"Didn't you just see Eli?" she inquired, postponing his explanation with troubled eyes. Cal looked up from the file, searching her guise as though he didn't believe her.

"What?" he replied, looking over his shoulder at the glass doors.

"He was just here." she whispered.

"Well, how did he look?" Cal asked, turning back to her.

"He looked..." Gillian began, inhaling deeply.

"Like he was experiencing a nervous breakdown..." Ria finished quietly.

* * *

"I'm trying to focus Cal, it's just...I keep thinking about Loker." Gillian explained sadly. The three of them were in the conference room, attempting to go through the details of the new case. Their muddled thoughts were slowing the process down and Cal was finding himself in between two frustrations: Loker and this case. He could tell Torres was hiding something from them, but he wasn't sure he wanted to know the particulars.

"Think 'bout Loker later, alright?" he sighed as he shuffled through the case files. "There was a rash of computer intrusions at a local video game programming business, usually crashing their computers unexpectedly and keeping them from doing work. A few days ago, somebody came in and shot up the place. Our job is to find out who and why, got it?"

"Any casualties?" Foster asked seriously, though her eyes stared into a different world.

"Quite a few, actually." Cal mumbled, examining a report tucked within the papers. "Reynolds wants us to find who did this quickly; apparently, one of the employees was an agent's son."

"Perhaps it was a hate crime?" Foster suggested, returning her thoughts to the conversation.

"A hate crime against video game programmers?" Ria interjected, hardly believing it to be the case.

"We'll find that out later. First, we have to track down survivors." Lightman stated, putting the papers back within the folder. "I'm going to talk to bloke in charge of the place."

"I'll go with you." Ria murmured, standing from her chair. She needed something keep her sidetracked from Eli for the moment. Or, at least, she wished she knew where Josh lived.

* * *

"Remember to focus, Torres. I don't want you distracted when we're doing this important case." Lightman told her as they approached the glass doors to the establishment. The FBI had been quick to collect evidence and photos so the place could repair and clean up. It looked like they were only halfway through the process as only the doors seem to be fixed when they were reported as shattered; the room where the crime had gone down was still taped off.

"U-um, do you have an appointment?" the secretary said nervously as Lightman approached the desk. She was flustered and shaky: still affected by recent event no doubt. She hadn't even bothered to say 'hello.'

"I need to speak with the man in charge. We're from the Lightman group and we're investigating the shooting." he answered in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Oh, um, I'll let him know you're here." she replied and quickly, though clumsily, pressed a button by the phone. "Mr. James, there are some people here to see you. They're investigating...what happened." The young woman waited until a small beep sounded.

"_Please, let them in._" Mr. James responded, his voice sounding stressed. The secretary stood from her seat and smoothed out her skirt.

"Follow me please." she said quietly and strode down the hall. Cal and Ria trailed behind her, glancing into other rooms at the workers. From the looks of it, it seemed everyone was close in this tiny business; employees rubbed at their faces and their features were often pulled up into troubled looks. People were mourning and they couldn't hide the grief.

"He's right in through here." the secretary informed them, opening a door at the end of the hall. Lightman went through without a word.

"Thank you." Ria said quietly, giving her a tiny smile as she passed. All these sad faces just reminded her of Eli and she couldn't stand it. She took her place beside Lightman as they stood in front of the desk within.

"Thank you for coming, I'm Scott James." the man behind it greeted, shaking hands with both Cal and Ria.

"Thank you for letting us see you, Mr. James. I'm Ria Torres and this is Cal Lightman." Torres said nicely as she could see Lightman observing the man's face rather thoroughly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. Please, have a seat." Scott invited, seating himself down in his desk chair. "So, you're investigating the incident from a few days ago?" Mr. James looked genuinely bothered by the thought of the murders and the shooting that had occurred within the walls of his establishment. Ria could tell he had a good heart.

"Yes, but I see you aren't in much of a hurry to get it cleaned up." Cal stated, peering at the eyes opposite of his.

"I admit it is a little morbid to keep it there. But, both my employees and me decided to keep it for a little while longer. We've had the gorier places cleaned up a bit, but we want to face the tragedy. It happened and this is just how we are trying to accept that." Mr. James explained. He was quiet for a moment as his thoughts overtook him. "We lost a lot of good people, Mr. Lightman. _Fantastic_ people."

"Were there any witnesses? Anyone we could talk to?" Cal asked.

"The FBI already asked me this." Mr. James responded. "I told them everybody that survived are at the hospital, recovering. I wasn't there myself, since I only come in during the day. Some of my employees prefer the night shift, since they grew up playing video games all night and sleeping all day. I give all my workers the option, but I only come in for the first hour of their shift."

"Was there anyone you missed?" Ria asked. She honestly didn't expect an answer, since Scott sounded so sure the first time. Mr. James thought about it carefully for at least a minute.

"Wait...there was one." he said slowly. "One of my employees had a good friend that needed a night job. He told me this friend was a great researcher and it would be a good idea to hire him so they could make graphics and details of each game more believable. I felt bad for the kid, so I hired him. On the night of the incident, he was supposed to have a night off, but he opted to work for overtime instead, since rent was coming up." Mr. James paused as his thoughts rolled around in his head. "I can't believe I forgot about that; he must be completely devastated."

"What was his name?" Cal questioned, leaning his head to the side. Mr. James took a deep breath as he came back into focus.

"Eli Loker."

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_Author's Note: Thanks for reading. :) Now, pleeeeeeeeease review! XD I hope you liked it!_


	4. Every Time I Close My Eyes

_**Disclaimer: I do not own "Lie to Me."**_

_Author's Note: Oh! Oh! Posted the chapter sooner than I did the last one! Aren't you proud? :) Anyhoo...you find out some stuff in this chapter and it's a little...disturbing...though not as disturbing as some things I have read. :/ Thanks for all the story alerts, reading and reviews!**  
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**4. Every Time I Close My Eyes...**

Eli finally shut off his phone. It was already irritating that Lightman and Foster kept calling him, but adding on the frequent ringing from Mr. James as well and...he was ready to throw the cellular device across the room. It troubled Eli that he was having bursts of anger and then random bouts of crying, but he couldn't help it and his feelings were so confused right now that he just couldn't keep up with himself. He was tired of the you-need-help-and-we'll-give-it-to-you attitude everyone was throwing at him. Eli wanted to be alone; he just wanted to be by himself to work it out.

_"Maybe you should get some professional help."_ Josh had suggested as gently as he could. At the time, the two were eating dinner together as if Josh thought it would somehow smooth things over. Eli dropped his fork and quickly stormed out of the room.

Professional help? No way.

He wasn't _that_ bad...right? Sure, he was moody, spacey and, yeah, he couldn't sleep at all... But he wasn't heading out to seek vengeance or giving up on life altogether. Although, he wasn't all that enthused to keep going; Josh thought he was trying to starve himself to death. Maybe he was, but Eli just wasn't all that hungry.

He stuffed the last shirt in his messenger bag and flipped the flap over. As he was slipping the strap over his shoulder, faint footsteps pattered across the carpet.

"Where do you think you're going?" Josh demanded. Eli didn't look up at his best friend, but shuffled past him casually.

"I'm going home." Eli responded monotonously.

"Why? You experienced a traumatic event! You should be with somebody; _talking_ to somebody." Josh said worriedly, trying to persuade his friend to stay.

"How many times do I have to tell you; I just want to be alone." Eli murmured, pausing in his trudging towards the door. Josh had never been a hindrance before and now he seemed so...so clingy. Eli didn't like the concern or the effort Josh took to spend time with his troubled friend.

"Alone? If you go back to your apartment, everybody at that Lightman Group place will be knocking on your door." Josh stated.

"Whoever said I had to answer the door?" Eli replied, and calmly exited the apartment. Josh still stood where he was, pondering the sorrowful change that ailed his friend.

Eli got in his car and placed his bag in the seat beside him. Josh didn't want him to drive, but it wasn't like he was going to stop him. Another friend, Evin, often called to see how things were going. He was trying to catch a flight out of London to leave a business conference early and come to properly mourn Dave's death. Though Evin repeatedly asked to speak to Eli, Eli had refused him flatly. Still, Josh was sure to convey both his and Evin's disapproval of Eli driving; they believed he was going to space out again and get himself killed.

Eli slammed the car door as if to spite them both.

They tried to tell him they understood; Dave was their friend, it was their loss too. They didn't understand. They _couldn't_ understand. They weren't _there_; not like Eli was. He saw the blood and carnage.

"_We're lucky we didn't lose you too_." Josh tried to tell him. Was it luck? Or was it misfortune?

Eli hated how simply he was saved from the crazed shooter. It could've happened to anybody...but it didn't. Dave was shot as were so many other innocent people.

All it took was a pencil.

The pencil had flipped backwards out of his hand while he fiddled with it, tumbling down his lap and rolling under the desk, within the cavity of the piece of furniture. With a sigh, he got off his chair and crouched behind the desk while he searched for the tiny writing utensil. Dave scoffed behind him and Eli shot him a smirk.

"Nice one, dude." Dave muttered.

"I really try." Eli replied as he continued to run his hand over the carpet. The smoothed wood met his hand and he grinned with success.

Then there was a shot and shattered glass.

"Stay there." Dave commanded, staring in the direction of the front door with seriousness. Instinctively, Eli tucked himself within the cavity of the desk as he heard heavy, quick footsteps coming into the room. Immediately, Dave put his hands up as the color drained from his face. Eli couldn't see the mysterious stranger, but he knew he had a gun. Everything seemed to slow down for a moment and his thoughts bunched up into a confusing knot, inaccurately presenting the sounds and images he was taking in. The man started to shout, but the words jumbled themselves in Eli's head, making it hard for him to really decipher and understand what the maniac was saying. He only caught words like "ruin," "kids," and "hate." No matter how many times he tried to think of a connection between the words and the programming company, he couldn't narrow it down to one truly logical answer.

"Calm down, dude." Dave said shakily, keeping his voice low and quiet. The yells still continued while women wept. Eli's eyes darted in every direction, hoping for some sort of reflection to see the man. He was trained to look at faces or listen to voices. Obviously, his mind was in too much of a disarray to really capture the shouts and analyze them as he was supposed to. Eli needed a face to go by; he needed the human expressions. The air became thick and humid as everyone took deep breaths to try and compose themselves.

"Calm down and we could talk." Dave offered. A silence followed, only disturbed by a random sob or two.

_Bam!_

Eli shut his eyes tightly as his hands quickly covered his ears.

_Thud._

Complete stillness.

Eli opened his eyes slightly, widening at what his vision zeroed in on. Dave was lying on the floor with blood blossoming on the right side of his abdomen.

Dave was shot.

_Bam! Bam! Bam!_

Eli flinched at the sound of every shot, but his eyes never left the crimson staining Dave's shirt. For a moment, his hearing went out but returned as quickly as it had gone.

"Don't you _dare_ call the cops!" the shooter threatened.

"Help! Help! He—"

_Bam!_

The woman's screaming stopped abruptly. Eli held his hands to his ears more tightly, but it was too late. The noises would never escape his mind and dreams; they were tattooed into his brain.

Rapid footsteps scurried away from the room, crunching glass as the stranger left the building. Eli was frozen to his hiding place, listening to the screams and chaos in his mind as his eyes stared off into a different world altogether.

"Dave?" he finally whispered, removing his hands from his ears and crawling towards his friend. His eyes scanned over the fallen man, but again found themselves gazing at the sanguine.

"I...I got shot." Dave rasped, stunned by the circumstances.

"It'll be fine; it'll be okay." Eli muttered, hesitantly placing his hands over the wound. He looked up...

And regretted it.

There was blood everywhere.

_Everywhere_.

One man was drowning in his own blood while a woman clawed towards Eli for help. Other people were unconscious or dead, the lifeless eyes haunting Eli. All those people he had worked with were dead or dying. Yet, here he was, alive and well. Still, something inside him was wrong. He vaguely remembered the sirens and flashing lights that appeared in front of the building while the scene replayed in his mind several times.

Eli couldn't remember how he had ended up at the hospital with a nurse looking him over. Then, somehow he was home. Home: where he broke down and cried for the rest of the night.

He never knew how he survived the Lightman Group the next day. Perhaps his coworkers were too busy or passed off his tired, bloodshot eyes as a product of insomnia. Somehow, he made it through the next few days amongst lie detection experts and he couldn't find an explanation for that sort of...luck.

Then, just when he was negatively invited to take a vacation from work, Josh called to tell him that Dave was going to meet his maker. Now he was gone, up with the angels while Eli was stuck with the devils of trauma.

Eli sighed as his thoughts stepped up into the world of reality, the memory of the horrid night momentarily flashing from his mind. He was still in the car, but he was in his own apartment's parking lot. Did he just drive while he was spacing? He quickly let go of the steering wheel and turned the vehicle off, alarmed that he had driven home while in a momentary sort of blackout. He snatched his keys and his bag, fleeing the car and running up to his apartment.

Perhaps he really shouldn't drive.

* * *

"He's probably not there..." Ria muttered as Gillian pulled into the clump of apartment buildings.

"I'm going to check anyway." she replied stubbornly as she twisted the steering wheel right. The two women endured a minute long silence before Ria pointed to something outside the windshield.

"Isn't that Eli's car?" she inquired, squinting her eyes to better see the subject of her vision. Gillian glanced amid her parking process, careful not to crash herself.

"Looks like it..." she responded slowly, parking her own vehicle and turning it off. "He must be home now." Ria let out a sigh. She had hoped he was still at Josh's; she didn't know how to properly deal with a distraught Loker. Perhaps the only person who did in this world was his mother.

The two got out of the car and gazed up at the apartment in question with a deep breath.

"Alright, let's go." Gillian ordered, stepping forward towards the stairs. Reluctantly, Ria followed with hunched shoulders and pocketed hands.

* * *

"_Don't you _dare_ call the cops!"_

Eli rubbed at his eyes with the palms of his hands, struggling against the screaming in his head.

_"Help! Help! He--!"_

"Shut uuuup..." he groaned as he leaned further forward until his forehead touched his knees. He was sitting on the couch, enduring the nightmare that invaded his mind. His apartment was empty and silent, but all he heard were the shrieks and shouts.

_Bam!_

Eli couldn't help but flinch, even though he knew the noise was all in his head. He massaged his temples and took in deep, calming breaths as if it would dim the vivid images in his mind.

Dave was shot and then died four days later.

"Eli? Are you in there?"

The morbid thoughts fled Eli's mind in a scurry, allowing Gillian's gentle voice to float into his ears. He was quiet as he contemplated whether or not he should answer her. Surely, if anyone could help, it would be her. But, he didn't need help. He was alive and surviving; he was just fine.

"No, I'm not okay..." he whispered, arguing with his pride and stubbornness. "I need help."

"Loker, are you home?" Gillian called again, softly knocking on the door. He hesitated as his mind tossed the options and their consequences around.

"Yeah."

His mouth and voice had moved on their own, setting his decision in stone. Eli couldn't ignore her anymore; he knew he would take the help, even if he was slow in doing so.

"Will you open the door?" she inquired. Eli sat on his couch for a moment, working up the motivation to get to the door. He didn't _have_ to open it; he could keep sitting there. Originally, he'd intended on doing so. But, he needed help and he was pretty sure Foster wasn't going to kick down his door to get to him.

Eli stood with a sigh, dragging his feet towards the slab of wood between him and Foster. Weakly, he undid the locks and twisted the knob, tugging the door open.

The worried faces of Foster and Torres met him on the other side.

"Loker, we—"

Gillian didn't expect Eli to break down and cry.

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_Author's Note: Awww...poor Eli... :( Review, please? :o_


	5. Psychological Daredevil

_**Disclaimer: I do not own "Lie to Me."**_

_Author's Note: OH MY GOODNESS! It's been so long. O.O I found this chapter very difficult to write...and it ended up being sort of a filler. Sorry... But, I've been dealing with writer's block and then graduation stuff...I'll be graduating high school next week! As well as graduating from community college with a two-year degree at the SAME TIME! I'm so proud of myself. :) Anyhoo, please read my chapter. Again, sorry for the incredible delay!**  
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**5. Psychological Daredevil**

Cal sighed as he headed to his office. Gillian and Ria had gone to Eli's apartment, most likely to find it empty. Then again, he wasn't going to stop them; he was just as hopeful as Foster was. The kid was probably riddled with hell and Cal could already imagine the different emotions running across the usually calm face. He took a step into his office.

Then stepped back out.

_Clack, clack, clack_.

"Foster?" Cal whispered loudly to the woman that approached him. "Why didn't you tell me Eli was in my office?"

"I haven't seen you yet." she answered, sadness bleeding through. "He's a mess Cal; confused, depressed...this whole ordeal is affecting him psychologically. I hear him whispering to himself sometimes." Lightman peeked into the office, observing his employee. The young man had pulled himself into a ball on the couch, wrapping his arms around his legs and pressing his forehead against his knees. Cal was disheartened by the body language as he read the clear message: Eli was closed off to others, most likely dealing with this by himself.

"How are we goin' 'bout this?" Cal inquired quietly as he stepped back into the hall.

"We're just going to talk to him. If he tells us, it'll be because he wants to...but let's prod him a little bit." Foster replied. Cal started to reenter the room, pausing when Gillian touched his arm. "Remember: be nice." Cal nodded and proceeded to make his way to Eli. Both he and Foster pulled chairs in front of him, careful not to get too close and crowd the poor boy. They settled into their seats, letting silence pass by for a few moments.

"You alright, Loker?" Cal asked. Slowly, Eli's head came up to look at his boss, his dark, haunted eyes fogged with a struggling soul.

"'M fine..." he croaked, then shook his head. "No, I'm not fine." Cal leaned his head to the side as he read Loker carefully. It seemed like Eli was trying to convince himself: definitely confused. Half of him was insisting that he was okay, while the other half recognized he was tangled within himself.

"What's the matter?" Foster probed gently, cautiously approaching conversation. Eli glanced between the two rapidly, looking somewhat crazed with his disheveled brunette waves and dark circles sinking beneath his eyes.

"Gettin' stressed with work?" Lightman offered. "Are you having financial problems?" Cal looked to Gillian; they were carefully leading Eli by the hand to their destination of discussion.

"Perhaps you had a fight with a friend?" Foster suggested. "Did someone close die?" Eli stared at her, alarmed and looking like someone had stabbed him in the heart and twisted. Gillian cringed at the pained expression.

"You have this case, don't you?" he mumbled. Being caught off guard, Foster's features betrayed her and spilled the answer.

"How did you know?" Gillian replied quietly. Eli rubbed a shaky hand against his forehead and shut his eyes tightly.

"You're interrogating me." he replied, sounding impatient. His lungs raked in a deep breath as he tried to calm himself. "It's just...you guys are working in pairs and I know Josh wouldn't say much about it... I don't know, I felt like something was off for this all to be out of concern." Cal examined his employee, comparing Eli's jumping back and forth between answers and moods to a person with dual personalities.

"But, we _are_ concerned." Gillian stated. "Even if this is a case, we're worried about you."

"I-I know." Eli stuttered, gulping as he brushed his hand over his face. "But, for this case, I...I don't have anything you can use."

"What do you mean?" Gillian asked, suspecting that Loker was feeling a sense of failure with his inability to present information.

"I...I never saw the guy." Eli admitted in a rush. "I don't even know why he was there. All I know is what his voice sounds like." A shiver ran through his spine, noticed by his two superiors. The two were quiet as they observed Eli's behavior, hesitant as they thought of the next approach.

"Can you walk us through it?" Cal queried. He didn't have to specify what 'it' was, as all three of them were very sure of what he was referring to. Eli contemplated the idea, flinching every now and then and sparking the curiosity of his employers as well as concern.

"Yes." Eli finally replied, moving his eyes from the floor to theirs. He swallowed as Lightman and Foster waited patiently and almost fearfully for Eli's explanation.

"I was looking for a pencil under my desk when the guy came in. He...started to shout, but I was so distracted I only caught a few of the words." Eli began, breathing in deeply as he tightened the human ball he'd created with his body. "My friend, Dave, tried to calm him down, but then he was..." Eli's eyes zoned out as his memory flooded his mind again. "shot." The last word was barely a whisper and Foster's concern became heavier in her heart. For a moment, they were certain Loker had spaced out as he remained quiet for a good, thorough minute.

"I tried to cover my ears," Eli continued suddenly, though quietly. His eyes were glazed over and staring diligently at the floor. "but I could still hear the gunshots that followed. Dave was bleeding...dying...Some woman called the cops and screamed for help...She was so desperate, but he shot her to shut her up. Then it was quiet." Eli paused. "Silent." Foster was just about ready to stop Loker from continuing his tale, as he began to shiver, but he proceeded to recount the experience.

"The shooter left and I tried to help Dave."

Pause.

"There was a lot of blood." Eli's voice was getting quieter and quieter. "It was..."

Hesitation.

"Everywhere."

Cal and Gillian examined Eli, praying they hadn't pushed him into something that was more damaging than helpful. Loker's tear-brimmed eyes looked up at them and mutely begged for help.

"I don't even know how I got home." he whispered. "I get places and I don't even know how I did. Am I going crazy?"

"I think what you went through is definitely enough to make a man mad." Lightman replied sadly. "But you've always been a bit of a lunatic." Cal smiled in an attempt at comfort, successfully pulling a twitch out of the corner of Eli's lips.

"You're just experiencing a traumatic experience; you haven't lost your mind." Gillian assured him. She was loving, like a mother hen, and it gave Eli a sense of comfort.

But he couldn't keep the blood from splattering on the walls of his brain.

"They were nice people." he whispered, his eyes flickering across the floor while his mind projected the unfortunate event that wandered his head. Cal looked to Foster nervously as Loker's face became shadowed in fear.

"Eli." Gillian said, hoping to bring him back to reality. The young researcher didn't respond. "Eli!" She touched his shoulder, causing him to jump and gasp. Cal hid his worry; Loker was scrambled from the inside out. Eli was steadily getting more jumpy and emotional; there was no improvement. Perhaps finding the shooter and locking him away would procure some closure. Then again, he couldn't be sure.

Psychologically damaged men shouldn't be left alone anyway.

Still, he had to do something.

"How willing are you to help?" Cal asked, staring at Eli intently. Loker looked to him with a sort of fear in his eyes, as well as a hint of confusion.

"What...?" he began slowly.

"How willing are you to help?" Lightman repeated, boring into his employee with a serious look. "Be honest, Loker."

"I-I want to help. I-I-I do!" Eli stuttered. Anyone could see he was sincere, but the panic still coated his young face. "Why?"

"I want to try hypnosis." Lightman sighed. "Perhaps it'll jog your memory." Eli's eyes widened further and his mouth parted a little as he contemplated his boss's suggestion. Gillian looked at Cal with an incredulous look, prompted by Loker's disturbingly horrified expression.

"Cal, can we...step outside?" she muttered casually. Lightman pursed his lips, but nodded anyway and the two slyly exited the room.

"That is _not_ wise." Foster hissed, looking around as to make sure the situation wasn't drifting further from her and Cal.

"Perhaps...but it could be useful to the case." Lightman mumbled in reply. Gillian instantly bristled at his response, whipping out her best glare.

"This isn't about the _case_, Cal; this is about _Eli_."

"Right, I just thought that catching the killer could ease up his conscious a little bit." Cal responded nonchalantly, pushing Foster further in her irritation.

"Eli will never be fully okay, if ever at all." she whispered, leaning in close to ensure he understood her point. "He can't just erase that image or wave it from his mind. One of his friends _died_, Cal. He's a researcher—not a cop. Eli's not like you; he can't handle this sort of thing." She stepped away from her coworker and turned to face the other direction, dropping her head into a hand. After a deep breath, she spun back around to face Cal. "You cannot use hypnosis; and, to make things worse, I'll be the one doing it. I don't want that on my shoulders! If he _does _remember something else, it could be detrimental for his psychological and emotional health." Cal sighed and looked towards his partially open office door.

"Fine, but then we're stuck at a dead end." he pointed out, waiting for Gillian to magically find some positive points to his initial idea.

"I'd rather we were stuck at a dead end than ruining an innocent human being." she murmured, just as she pushed the office door open. Eli looked up at his employers, looking weighed down by the very weight of the world.

"I'm sorry, Eli." Foster apologized as she strode further into the room. Cal slipped in and closed the door softly behind him. "We won't make you do hypnosis; it was ridiculous to even suggest." Eli gaped at her, clearly unsure of what to say. Foster and Lightman waited for his response, but it never came. Lines of words were crossing over in his brain and colliding with each other, making alphabetical train wrecks that never made it to his mouth. The sleepy cleaning crews of his mind took their sweet time to sweep up the dust left by the disaster, rendering him speechless for the moment.

"Do you...have anyone to stay with?" Cal inquired. Eli nodded, remembering his loyal pal, Josh.

"You know you can always come to us for anything, right?" Foster asked, waiting for a simple nod. Instead his eyebrows came together as evidence of internal struggle. "I want you to know—"

"I want to do the hypnosis." Eli finally blurted.

* * *

_Author's Note: Thanks for reading! Yeah...filler chapter, huh? Review, please? :/_


	6. Sucker Punch

**_Disclaimer: I don't own "Lie to Me."_**

_Author's Note: Hey, guys. Again, it's been awhile. I suppose I'm better at thinking up physical whumpage, huh? :/ But this fic is coming to an end and now...I am graduated! Woot! From high school and also with a two-year college degree at the same time! Now I have time...to write! Who's excited? Perhaps I should try different shows...but Lie to me is so fun and the reviewers are so nice! :o Anyhoo, I hope you enjoy this chapter and I will probably type out the last chapter pretty darn soon. Hey, maybe today! Who knows? Thanks for reading, dear readers. :)_**_  
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**6. Sucker Punch**

"Alright, Eli, I want you to relax. Take a few deep breaths if it helps, but I want you to focus on that event. What are you seeing? What are you hearing?" Gillian said soothingly. Eli had his eyes closed as his mind tried to zero in on the vivid, though muffled, memory. His intentions were to clarify what the shooter was saying, or what others were screaming around him. All he wanted to do was help, but he wasn't quite sure if his mind could handle the strain. To hell with it; risks have to be taken.

At first, the scene came in a murky image, like he was looking through dirty lake water. After a moment, it became clearer and he was once again placed under the protective desk, the pencil gripped tightly in his hand. Dave was still alive, holding his hands up with pale features and fear-stricken eyes. It took Eli a moment to realize the shooter was shouting.

"You should be ashamed of yourselves!" the stranger shouted, sounding crazed and desperate. "You're the reason kids are getting unhealthy and stay cooped up inside playing video games! You put violence into their heads and imaginary guns in their hands! You're ruining kids and their heads! You people are the reason there are school shootings, you bastards!" Eli cringed at the loud voice, but stayed quiet while he listened. "You killed my son! I hate you damn video game people!"

"Calm down, dude." Dave mumbled shakily.

"Shut up! I'm the one with the gun here! I can say what I want!" the man shouted. Eli remembered that voice, but he couldn't remember where. Women sobbed while others were breathing heavily with active adrenaline.

"Calm down and we could talk." Dave offered gently, being much braver than Eli could've ever begun to be at that very moment.

"I don't want to _talk_. You think I want to _talk_? Talking isn't going to bring my son back!" the shooter yelled.

A _click_ and a shot. Dave was down and Eli was just as petrified now in his head as he was then.

"Eli? Speak to me; tell me what's going on." Gillian's voice floated softly through his mind, reminding him he was in a memory.

"The shooter is blaming us for the death of his son…" he muttered, shaking his head. "Something about video games ruining kids and school shoot outs."

"Do you recognize the voice?"

"Yes, but I don't know where." he croaked, his voice hardly heard over the screams and gunshots. The woman on the phone shouted for help and she was silenced with another shout and a bullet. The last heavy footsteps and the scene faded. But Eli didn't open his eyes, he concentrated on where he may have heard that threatening voice. He knew it and it was balancing on the tip of his messy thoughts.

Another memory came into view, one so simple and routine. He was walking into work at the programming company.

No, this routine was different.

"Thank for your time, Mr. Terry." his boss, Scott James, said loudly as an angry man left his office.

"No! I am not going to just leave! I'm going to shut this place down!" the stranger announced. "You're a menace to society!" Eli remembered wondering what Mr. James had done to get on this man's bad side, standing innocently in the hallway.

"I must ask you to leave, sir, as you're clearly disturbed and need some help." Mr. James barked toughly as he glared at the offender.

"Just you wait," Mr. Terry hissed. "you won't even know what hit you." He stormed out of the building, shoving Eli aside as he went. Eli rubbed his arm thoughtfully and looked back at his boss.

"What a lunatic." Mr. James sighed, retreating back to the peace of his office. Eli shrugged off the incident, suspecting it was just some crazy man, and headed towards his desk.

"I know who it was…" Eli said slowly as he came back to reality, blinking against the lights above him.

"Who? Who was it, Eli?" Gillian asked gently. He sat up slowly, stunned.

"He passed me by in the hallway." he mumbled.

"Who was it, Loker?" Lightman demanded, easily getting impatient.

"Uh…" Eli shook his head to shake away the shock. "He had the last name 'Terry.' My other boss, Mr. James, might know who he was. They had a…an argument in his office, I think."

"Are you feeling alright, Eli? You look a little pale." Gillian observed with concern. Eli rubbed at his eyes while his stomach twisted uncomfortably.

"I'm just…just going to step out for a…for a moment." he grumbled while the gory images stung his brain. Shakily he stood and exited Lightman's office, heading straight for the bathroom. He had been so close to the killer. The man was crazy, but he had logical motivation. Eli could only imagine the magnitude a death of a son had on a man. But he couldn't use it as justification.

He couldn't forgive him.

Right now, he just had to concentrate on keeping the crackers and coffee he had for lunch down. At least…until he got to the bathroom.

* * *

Gillian comfortingly rubbed Eli's back in a circular motion, watching his abnormally white face with concern. He was clammy and fidgety; clearly the product of emotional illness. Right now, Cal was on the phone with Scott James, trying to pry the name of the shouting Mr. Terry.

"How are you feeling?" she asked the young man softly. He didn't respond, but continued to stare off into space. "Eli? Did you hear what I said?"

"Huh, what?" he replied nervously, being too stuck in the mud of his own thoughts to listen to her.

"Are you okay?" she inquired, peering at his face. He swallowed hard and cleared his throat while he shifted in his seat.

"Fine." he muttered quickly. Gillian was about to protest, but thought better of it. Hopefully, the arrest of the shooter would bring Eli the closure that Cal had predicted.

"Paul Terry!" Cal suddenly exclaimed as he reentered the office. "Reynolds is picking our psycho up now." Gillian glared at her coworker, trying to pass the message that he was being ruthlessly insensitive to the situation. She'd always encouraged him to use softer tones and words. Exclamations and 'psycho' were not what she had in mind.

Eli was silent, but he was at least looking at Lightman. His expression hadn't changed much, yet there was a certain fire that burned in his gaze.

"Tell you what, Loker. When I've finally gotten what I need to arrest the bloke, I'll let you have your own time with him." Cal offered. Gillian gaped at the suggestion, not exactly wanting to encourage something like that.

"I'm looking forward to it." Eli whispered.

* * *

Paul Terry glared at Lightman while the Englishman circled him.

"So, your son was killed in a school shooting last year, eh?" Cal inquired as he looked at the folder in his hands. "The police reported that the boys involved often played violent video games, which probably contributed to their behavior. How does that make you feel, huh? Does that make _you_ feel violent?" Terry said nothing, but hatefully narrowed his eyes at the scientist.

"Did you have an argument with Mr. Scott James?" Reynolds asked, leaning against the wall behind the culprit.

"So what if I did?" Terry growled. Lightman raised his eyebrows at the man, closing the folder and tossing it onto the steel table.

"Did you shoot up the place too?" he asked. Terry sighed and Cal saw the slightest micro expression of sick joy. Cal glanced out of the cube, catching Eli's somber face on the other side of the glass. "You missed one."

Terry showed signs of rage.

"What are you talking about?" he demanded. Lightman pointed at the young man standing stiffly outside of the cube.

"You missed him."

Terry whipped his head to where Cal indicated and took a deep breath as he beheld Loker. Eli tried his best to keep a stiff look on his face and toughly sport himself. Terry turned back to Lightman with fear and failure swimming in his eyes.

"Sorry, but…you're screwed." Lightman said casually, reading the man's face. "But you know that, don't you?"

"Those damn programmers are the reason my son is dead!" Terry blurted angrily. Reynolds smirked behind him, ready for the easy confession. Angry men could be easy to crack. "I thought I'd return the favor. He was a good kid, he didn't deserve to die. But they did! I just gave them what they deserved."

"But they aren't the bullies in prison." Reynolds muttered as he passed by the man and stood by Cal. "Maybe you'll like them better. They're psychos…like you." The two of them exited just as Eli was making his way to the door, breathing heavily as he stole quick glances to the killer in the cube.

"Don't kill him." Lightman mumbled while Eli took his first step into the cube. Slowly he walked to the table and sat down, ignoring the stiff gaze Terry was offering him.

"Hello, I'm Eli Loker." he introduced in a soft voice. "You murdered one of my best friends." His eyes burned as he recalled Dave's bloody abdomen and shocked expression. Terry was rigid as he beheld Loker in front of him. He never expected to meet a survivor and, oddly, it unnerved him.

"He was the one that gave you a chance. Dave offered to talk." Eli explained. "Do you know what you said?" He waited to see if Terry had the guts to answer, or if he even remembered. The man stayed silent, staring at Eli in the eyes.

"Do you remember what you said?" Loker repeated, boring bravely into the murderer's gaze. Again, no answer. "You said that talking wasn't going to bring your son back." Terry glanced away for a moment and looked back at Eli. Loker leaned in with his elbows on the table, glaring at the man across from him. "How the hell did you come up with the alternative of shooting people?" Eli leaned back again, sighing as his eyes roved over the rest of the cube then settled back on Terry.

"Were you with your son when he died?" Eli inquired. Terry remained still, then shook his head a little. "Then you obviously don't know what it's like to watch someone get shot and then stick your hands in his blood. Just imagine what it's like to see a whole room full of good people that you know and laugh with, dying or dead. Imagine an innocent man drowning in his own blood. Then imagine a women screaming for help when all she got was a shot to the chest." Terry blinked rapidly as Eli painted the morbid scene before him. "Are you in hell yet?"

Eli stood from his seat and turned away with a deep breath.

"They got what they deserved."

Loker teeth clenched together and before he knew it, he'd turned around and punched Terry square in the nose. The shooter yelled in pain and held onto his broken nose while blood slid down his face. Terry looked up with a stunned look at the enraged Eli, never expecting the worn down young man to feed him a fist to his face.

"There's just a little taste of what you deserve." Eli spat and left the cube with a trail of fury behind him.

Cal grinned on the other side of the glass.

"That's m'boy." he mumbled.

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_Author's Note: Was it good? :o Please review! Thanks for reading and being patient as well as eager. :)_


	7. Acceptance

**_Disclaimer: I do not own "Lie to Me."_**

_Author's Note: Well, the last chapter is short, but I hope it wraps things up in a neat, little bow. Thanks everybody for the reviews and for reading. Most definitely, thanks for being patient. :) I say readers are just as important as writers are, if not more so. _**_  
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**7. Acceptance**

Despite the sorrowful event happening before their eyes, the sun had tried to lift their low spirits.

Dave was being lowered into the ground. At least, his body was.

Eli gave Dave's mother a comforting hug as she wept into his shoulder, shivering with grief at just burying her son. Loker always remembered her with a smile and a plate of cookies and it troubled him to see her this way…but she needed his comfort now. It was about time somebody paid her back for those smiles and cookies.

"Hey, Nancy. How're you holding up?" Josh inquired gently as she broke her embrace with Eli. Evin, another friend of Eli's, stood respectively behind Josh, ready to offer any comfort.

"Oh, I'm okay, Josh." she choked, wiping her tears away, careful not to smear her mascara. "It's just…so hard." Josh glanced at Eli, seeing the pure sympathy on his best friend's face.

"I know how you feel, Nancy." Eli mumbled, nervously shifting his feet.

"Come here, you." she commanded, pulling him into another embrace. "You're a good boy, Eli." He smiled as his eyes filled with tears and looked over her head at the trees in the cemetery.

He didn't expect to see Lightman.

"Uh…excuse me." he mumbled with a sniffle, wiping the water out of his eyes. He patted Nancy comfortingly on the shoulder and headed towards Cal, unsure if it was smart to approach his boss.

"What are you doing here?" Eli sighed as he stood next to Lightman, running a hand over his face. Cal was silent, looking as if he was ignoring the young man beside him. Eli's head held curious explanations as to why Dr. Lightman would show up but none of them were probable or to Loker's liking...

"You alright, Loker?" the Englishman finally inquired, staring at the gathered group of black-clad mourners. Eli took a deep breath as he watched Nancy hug those around her. That was Nancy; sweet and always thinking of others.

"I think…" Eli paused as he watched most of the other guests leave. "I'll need a lot of time to figure things out." Cal nodded while the breeze swept through the leafy trees.

"Don't come back to work until you start analyzing videos right." he stated, turning and walking away. Eli smirked. "I can't afford to have you spacing out on the clock!"

He grinned.

It felt good to stretch those face muscles and it was real. For once this week, it was real. Eli looked up at the blue sky and his grin faded to a soft smile. Most people would think nothing of the sunshine…but Eli knew it was Dave's way of spreading his joy, even though he was no longer here.

No, he was here.

He was the sunshine.

Eli trekked back towards Nancy, Josh and Evin, again wiping away at his eyes. Nancy dabbed gingerly at her eyes with a handkerchief while Evin had an arm wrapped around her.

"You okay, Eli?" Josh asked, blinking away the bright sunlight. Eli smiled simply, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"I'll be just fine." he replied, heavy tears pooling on his eyelids. "How about we get you home, Nancy?"

"That'd be lovely. Thank you, boys." she responded, patting Josh's shoulder in a motherly fashion.

"It's no problem; we're here for you." Josh said sincerely, guiding her gently towards the car. Evin followed shortly after giving Eli a comforting squeeze on his shoulder, leaving Loker alone amongst the rows of chairs and oddly peaceful silence. He gazed up at the sky, peering at the white clouds with deep interest.

"Miss you already, Dave." Eli mumbled with a small smile.

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_Author's Note: Well, that's the end. :) Thanks for reading and please review!_


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